Destination Infinity's Blog, page 23
March 28, 2019
eWIT’s 13th Anniversary Event – 2019
eWIT (Empowerment of Women in IT) is a platform to unleash the potential for women and to drive their growth in the IT/ITES industry. Women associated with the IT/ITES industry by education or profession can become a member of EWIT.
eWIT’s Activities Include:
Programs/Workshops/Networking Events.Awards/Competitions to identify and encourage talents.Consultancy & knowledge-sharing in women-centric policies like gender sensitivity, gender harrassment, anti-sexual harrassment, etc. Academic initiatives via interaction with college students to bridge industry-academia gap.
There is an annual membership fee of Rs. 500 for individuals, and there are bulk membership plans for corporate/academic sectors as well. For further information, you can download eWIT’s brochure from here (PDF).
Today I went to eWIT’s 13th Anniversary Event at Hotel Savera, Dr. Radhakrishnan Salai. This year’s theme is in accordance with Women’s Day Theme – #BalanceforBetter. I got an invite via our Chennai Bloggers Club by a fellow blogger, Umasree Raghunath. I had already been to eWIT’s 10th Anniversary Event – here are the highlights from then.
Shown in the above photo is one of the speakers from this year’s event – Ms. Krithika Swaminathan, Intuit Vice President, Speed and Trust Team. She shared her impressive story of rejecting a job with a leading MNC at Hong Kong as it was a desk job that didn’t suit her personality. And then about her rewarding experience working for the Sultan of Brunei from Jakarta, Indonesia.
She told everyone that both Mentors & Sponsors are critical for anyone, especially women, to climb the corporate ladder as Sponsors open doors and have access to decision makers, and mentors help walk through that door.
The next speaker was Ms. Bhargavi Nuvvula, Global CIO – Corporate Technology, BNY Mellon Technology. She shared her impressive story of having born in a small village in AP, schooling experience at North India, and then having risen to the position of CIO which she attributes to a vision and positive thoughts.
She felt that women need to come out of their self-doubts, be more courageous, and aim high. One of the points she mentioned was how women should not only be problem solvers but should also be conflict seekers, as opportunities sometimes come disguised as conflicts!
There was also a panel discussion on how women in IT are making a difference. I liked the points they mentioned about the importance of exercising, becoming a real leader by helping others grow, being strong and initiating change.
If you are a woman who is in the IT/ITES industry or who is looking to get into the IT/ITES industry after graduation/taking a break, or in a senior position already and are looking to mentor youngsters, you should look at joining and participating with eWIT.
March 17, 2019
Arya-Sayyeshaa Wedding: Photo Slideshow Video
Above-embedded is a photo slideshow video made by me using the wedding stills/photos released by Arya & Sayyeshaa in their respective twitter accounts.
Arya is a popular Tamil movie actor who debuted in 2005. He has given a number of hits including Ullam Ketkume, Boss Engira Baskaran, Madrasapattinam, etc.
Did you know that his actual name is Jamshad Cethirakath and that he was an assistant software engineer after graduating from Crescent Engineering College, Chennai?
Did you know that Arya not only participated in the 300-KM Vätternrundan bicycle race, a recreational bicycle race held over two weekends at Sweeden, but also won a medal in that race?
Sayyeshaa is a popular Tamil, Telugu and Hindi movie actress. She starred in Shivayy opposite Ajay Devgan, in Vanamagan opposite Jayam Ravi, in Kadaikkutty Singam opposite Karthi, among others.
Since Arya-Sayyeshaa is such a beautiful pair, I thought why not make their cherished memories even more beautiful by making a cute montage video.. did you like it? 
UK Alumni Awards 2019, Taj Connemara, Chennai
Director of British Council, Chennai kickstarting the UK Alumni Awards 2019 event.I was invited to the UK Alumni Awards 2019 ceremony that was held at Taj Connemara, Chennai, on Mar. 15. It seems this is the first time this award ceremony has been held outside Delhi.
https://www.britishcouncil.in/study-u...
Alumni Awards celebrate the achievement of international alumni who have studied at a UK institution within the last ten years.
There are three categories under which outstanding alumni are chosen – Social Impact Award, Professional Achievement Award & Entrepreneurial Award. The names of the finalists in each category are listed here.
Before the awards ceremony began, there was a panel discussion on the state of education and the need to refine it in conjunction with the market demand.
A senior bureaucrat from Telangana, who also happens to be an alumni from a UK Educational Institution, shared his insights on the Govt. initiatives in the state that seek to bridge the gap between students’ skills and industry expectations.
They have a program called TASKS in which the course modules are designed by industry professionals, and are offered to college students. He said that this initiative enabled the state to produce more job-ready graduates. For example, a course on Tizen, a mobile OS developed by Samsung, is available only in Telangana colleges as a part of this initiative.
UK Alumni Awards 2019 Finalists, Winners and British Council staff. A short film about the benefits of studying in UK Universities was screened. There was also a short fusion music concert with violin and drums post which the winners were announced.
Here are the winners of UK Alumni Awards 2019 –
Social Impact Award – Rupal Ganesh KulkarniProfessional Award – Abhijit MitraEntrepreneurial Award – Shiv Dhawan
#1. Social Impact Award winner Rupal Ganesh Kulkarni is an alumnus of London School of Economics and Political Science. She is the CEO of Shram Sarathi, which works on financial inclusion of migrant labourers in India, especially in Tribal & Rural areas of Rajasthan.
#2. Professional Award winner Abhijit Mitra is an alumnus of University of Leeds. He is the Project Investigator in BT Global Research and Innovation programme at IIT Delhi. His work will enable 5G services over metro networks.
#3. Entrepreneurial Award winner Shiv Dhawan is an alumnus of London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the director of India on Track, a leading Sports Management Firm in India and co-founded the Global Institute of Sports Business in Mumbai.
Destination Infinity
March 6, 2019
Stone Chain (Fashion Jewellery)
Here is a beautiful stone chain (fashion jewellery) made for RR Fashion Jewellery byRamya. Since Woman’s Day is coming up, she has thrown in a discount as well. Of course, video made by me.
Destination Infinity
February 22, 2019
Madhavaram Horticulture Park
A short video with pics taken during our recent visit to Madhavaram Horticulture Park, Chennai is embedded above. This park is similar to Semmozhi Poonga, but it is way bigger. There are many more trees, plants, etc. But it’s not as beautiful as Semmozhi Poonga though.
Madhavaram, or at least its surroundings, in itself is so green. So a horticulture-themed park that too inside the city is surely an added bonus. There is ample parking for cars, bikes and this place is ticketed – I think the entry ticket is Rs. 15 for an adult. There are tickets for bike parking and taking camera, as well. I took all the photos on my mobile in spite of taking my camera!
This park is still under construction, but there is a lot of greenery – plants, trees, etc. are already available. They are constructing more tourist facilities, I guess. We found a canteen but were informed that it works only on Sat & Sun! I think this park opens at 10-11 AM and closes at 7.30 PM if I remember what the watchman said.
Anyway, this is a large park. Be prepared to walk at least 1 or 1.5 KM around the park if you want to make a full circle. There are gardens in various themes like Topiary Garden, Hibiscus Garden, Cactus Garden, Herbal Garden, Lily Garden, Rock Garden, Butterfly Garden, etc. Just that I didn’t see any butterflies nor any rock sculptures!
They’ve placed some name boards at certain places that enables you to identify which garden area you are visiting. We found a few stylish huts and small such structures with seats to rest, and there were ample no. of benches all around.
There is even a small lake, but the water is too muddy. I don’t understand from where the water keeps flowing/moving in this closed lake, but it does. It will be nice if they could convert this into a boating area or something.
We found a dedicated little children’s park with basic play amenities like slides, etc. We also found a board mentioning about guidance on home/kitchen garden will be provided, but no one has any clue about it when we enquired.
We found a few cute statues with which we gladly took selfies. There is a dedicated selfie area (in a Govt park!!) with four paintings of birds. You can see all this in the above embedded video.
Altogether a nice green place to visit inside Chennai on any afternoon/evening 
February 17, 2019
My Smartband BUZZES every 15 minutes I don’t move!
So I bought a Smartband – Titan Fastrack Reflex Smartband that I am wearing on my wrist for most part of the day. It’s like a watch, but looks very modern and has a small digital display. Of course it shows the time, date, etc.
But I bought it for another reason – it has a sedentary reminder alarm. That means, it buzzes every 15 minutes when I keep continuously sitting at the same place. Since my work is predominantly on the laptop, there are times when I sit down and work even for 1 or 1.5 hours continuously.
As you can guess, it’s a bad idea. But nowadays, these nine continuous vibrations every fifteen minutes makes me move away from my laptop every 30 minutes or 45 minutes. Which is a good thing, really.
Another interesting feature of this smart bad is – it counts all my steps. Everyday, I have set a target to walk for 10,000 steps. Some days I achieve the target, some days I don’t. But knowing that my steps are being recorded motivates me to walk even more!
Altogether I am very pleased with my smartband purchase. After many years of not wearing a watch, nowadays, it’s a pleasant change to wear the smartband when I go out – it’s a cool gadget on the wrist to flaunt around 
February 10, 2019
RR Fashion Jewellery Portfolio Video
I made a short one-minute video portfolio for Ramya’s RR Fashion Jewellery products. I have included the photos of a few necklaces, bangles, earrings, etc. to give an overview of the types of jewellery she has made until now. She primarily focuses on customizable silk-thread, beaded, and other artificial jewellery.
Have a look at the video below and let me know your feedback/comments on how you think the video could be better.
Destination Infinity
BTW, we participated in another exhibition yesterday (organized by the Annanagar Ladies Club). Here is our pic from there
DAV Mogappair Alumni Business Brunch on Mar. 3, 2019
We at DAVMAA – DAV Mogappair Alumni Association are planning to organize a Business Brunch on March 3, 2019 Sun. morning (Time, Cost and Venue to be intimated shortly). This will be an opportunity for the alumni of our three Mogappair Schools (DAV CBSE Boys, Girls & Matric Mogappair) to meet, network, and exchange business cards.
Here is the Teaser Video I made for this event ->
Here is the first draft of the script for a more elaborate Promo Video ->
“Q1: What is the best way to get more visibility & leads for your products & services?
Q2: What is the best way to find the best service providers for your business/personal needs?
Q3: What is the best way to meet potential new employees or employees?
There is only one answer to all the above questions.
That is NETWORKING.
DAV Mogappair Alumni Association (DAVMAA) now provides you with an opportunity to Network with other DAVians over a casual Sunday morning breakfast.
You never know whom you might get to meet, and how one right connection can make a big difference to your life.
And of course, you get to eat a tasty meal while reminiscing about good old school days!
Can there be a better way to spend a Sunday?
The City thinks we DAVians are Crazy about Studies.
Time to show them We are Crazy about anything we apply our hearts to – whether it’s Studies, or it’s Business!”
I am publishing the script on my blog mainly to get feedback about how it can be enhanced, and also to spread the word. Let me know your thoughts on how this script can be improved, in the comments section below.
If you are a DAVian, don’t forget to share the teaser video on your social media networks and follow DAVMaa’s Facebook page for regular updates. We alumni members keep coming up with such crazy ideas frequently
February 3, 2019
Island Grounds Exhibition 2019 – 45th Tamil Nadu Trade Fair (Chennai)
The 45th Tamil Nadu Tourism Trade Fair exhibition is happening at Island Grounds, Chennai from Jan. 13 to Mar. 23, 2019. The timing is 3 PM to 10 PM on weekdays. On Sunday they might open it earlier – from 11 A.M. We went to the trade fair recently, and a few pics from the expo have been presented as a short video above. Entry Ticket price: Rs. 35 for adults and Rs. 20 for children from 6-12 years of age. You can book the trade fair tickets online!
There are various stalls. Commercial stalls selling everything from soap to education to plots. And then there are many food stalls. But the main attraction is the entertainment stall. There were booths showing 3D movies, horror props, cloud-walking experience, and much more. I have not seen these type of stalls in the Chennai Trade Center exhibitions.
And then there is a huge play area (in the already mega size expo) with everything from Giant Wheel to Tora Tora, and everything else that kids (and adults) might enjoy. There is even a buge Bruj Khalifa model constructed there, with which we took a selfie – of course! You can see the model in the above video.
One stall that we went to visit was the Lyca Productions 2.0 Stall based on the recent Rajnikanth’s movie. There were many props used in the movie – like the wig, masks, etc. that were used by Rajni and Akshay Kumar in the movie. There were a number of banners and cut-outs too. They were even selling 2.0 official T-Shirts there! One 2.0-based short 3D movie was supposed to be shown to visitors, but when we enquired it was not working. Tough luck.
Here is a short video with our selfies taken at this 2.0 stall –
Destination Infinity
January 26, 2019
Manikarnika Tamil Movie Review
Manikarnika, the factual retelling of Rani of Jhansi, could/should’ve been better.
This is Kangana’s first unexpected directorial debut after the original director left midway and she had just 40 days to complete more than 50% of the movie. Or so I read.
Since we generally write our first books and then start learning about writing, this too is Kangana’s first step – so we should encourage her to experiment with different scripts like these, and eventually become a great director.
The first-half of the movie was quite engaging. But there was war, war and only war in the second-half. If you like period war films you might still enjoy this, but if you are expecting a good story – there isn’t any.
But then, there may not be a lot of material available to research and form a good story on factual subjects like Rani of Jhansi. That’s why scriptwriters are able to leverage much more in epic fantasy movies like Baahubali.
This is one ticket cost I don’t mind paying, in spite of the movie not being good. It’s an investment.
If you are not able to watch the movie, at least watch this Tamil Trailer of Manikarnika. It’s well-made
